The Betrayal Behind Seven Ice Cubes
My phone buzzed; it was a message from the delivery guy: Ms. Judd, your Iced Americano has arrived and is at the front desk.
I paused. I never drink Iced Americanos, especially in the chilly October.
Holding the cold coffee cup, I opened the lid and saw seven neatly floating ice cubes inside.
My phone buzzed again; this time it was a message from Harrison: "Did you get the coffee? A colleague recommended the shop and said it tastes good."
I fixated on the words "colleague recommended," and my heart suddenly sank.
Harrison hardly ever orders takeout for me, much less recommends a cup of Iced Americano which himself doesn't even drink.
I called his assistant Chuck. Chuck's voice was cautious: "Ms. Judd, are you looking for Mr. Stern? He's currently in a meeting with Miss Harmon."
"Miss Harmon?" I paused. Lily Harmon was Harrison's newly hired secretary just last month, fresh out of college. I'd heard she was quite savvy.
"Does Miss Harmon like coffee?"
Chuck replied, "Miss Harmon usually prefers an Iced Americano. She orders it every morning and specifically asks the shop to add seven ice cubes because she says it tastes best that way."
Seven ice cubes.
My hand holding the phone started to tremble.
It wasn't a colleague's recommendation after all; he had mixed up people and accidentally sent me the coffee meant for Lily.
When I got home that night, the living room light was off.
As I changed my shoes, he came out of the bedroom, wearing pajamas, his hair still wet as if he'd just taken a shower.
"Why did you come home so late today?" His tone was calm, like he was asking a casual friend.
"Just handling some work," I said, setting my bag down on the sofa. "Did your meeting go well today? How did your discussion with Miss Harmon go?"
He paused for a moment, then went to the fridge to get some water. "That's just how it is. Newcomers need extra guidance."
I didn't say another word. After he went into the study, I quietly picked up the phone he'd left on the coffee table.
Fingerprint unlocked, the screen lit upTwitter was open to a chat with someone saved as "Lily."
"Mr. Stern, did Ms. Judd say anything about today's coffee?" It was Lily's profile picturea girl in a white dress, smiling with her eyes curved into crescents.
Harrison replied, "She didn't say anythingprobably didn't suspect a thing."
"Phew," Lily sent a shy emoji. "Don't forget my iced Americano tomorrow, seven ice cubes."
"Alright, I'll have Chuck pick it up tomorrow."
Scrolling up, there were even more suggestive messages: "Mr. Stern, when are you going to tell Ms. Judd? I don't want to keep sneaking around like this."
Harrison replied, "Wait a little longer. It's not the right time. Once this project is finished, I'll handle it properly."
My fingers swiped across the screen, each word stabbing my eyes like needles, and suddenly tears started to fall.
I put the phone back down and sat on the sofa until the study light went off and Harrison came out.
"Why are you still not asleep?" He asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"Harrison," I looked up at him, my voice soft, "let's replace Lily."
His expression darkened immediately: "Anna, what are you fussing about again? Lily is very capable; this project needs her."
I looked into his eyes. "I don't like her, and I don't want her around you."
"Anna," he came over, looking down at me, "don't overstep. Company matters are my responsibility."
"Company matters?" I smiled, tears still on my face, "Or is this about you and her?"
He paused for a moment, then turned and walked to the bedroom. "You're totally insane!"
The bedroom door slammed shut with a dull thud, like a wall separating us into two different worlds.
The next morning, I arrived at the company half an hour early and went straight to the conference room.
Today was an important partnership meetingthe partner is a well-known company in the industry. Harrison had been eyeing this project for a long time.
I asked my assistant to bring over the collaboration report prepared by Lily.
The report looks flashy, but at first glance, I immediately spotted a critical flaw.
I placed the report on the table, sneering inwardly. So this is what Harrison calls strong work performance?
The nine o'clock meeting started promptly.
Harrison and Lily walked in together. Lily was dressed in a pink business suit, holding a tablet, looking very professional.
Mr. White, the partner, sat across from us, smiling as he greeted, "Mr. Stern, Ms. Judd, thank you for waiting."
"Mr. White, you're too kind," Harrison replied with a smile, then gestured to Lily, "Let my secretary introduce the cooperation report for you."
Lily stood up, opened the tablet, and began her presentation.
She spoke fluently, but every time she reached an error in the data, I noticed Mr. White furrowing his brow.
When she finished, Harrison looked proudly at Mr. White. "Mr. White, what do you think? We've been working on this plan for a long time, and Miss Harmon has put in a lot of effort."
Mr. White said nothing and instead turned to me. "Ms. Judd, what are your thoughts?"
I stood up, walked to the projection screen, and pointed to the incorrect data. "Mr. White, everyone, I'm sorry, but this report contains critical flaws."
I pointed out the mistakes one by one, and with each one, Lily's face grew paler.
I said, "If we proceed with this report, both sides will suffer significant losses."
Mr. White picked up the report and glanced over it, his expression darkening. "Mr. Stern, is this the plan you've been preparing for so long? You've even made fundamental errors in the data?"
Harrison's face flushed bright red. He shot me a sharp look, then said to Mr. White, "Mr. White, I apologize. This was an oversight on our part. I'll have Lily revise it immediately."
"Revise?" Mr. White threw the report onto the table. "Mr. Stern, professionalism and accuracy are what we value in this partnership. Mistakes like these make it impossible for us to trust your company. I think we should call off this deal."
After Mr. White finished speaking, he stood up with his team and left, leaving just the three of us in the conference room.
"Anna! Did you do that on purpose?" Harrison stormed up to me, shouting, "You knew how important this project is to the company, yet you went and undermined me in front of everyone!"
"I was just pointing out the mistake," I said, looking at him. "Do you want me to just watch the company end up paying even more in compensation?"
"You can point out mistakes in private!" he yelled. "But you had to do it in front of Mr. Whiteyou were just being spiteful!"
Lily stood nearby, her eyes red, quietly saying, "Mr. Stern, I'm sorry. It's all my faultI shouldn't have made such a basic mistake."
Harrison immediately softened his tone and patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay, everyone makes mistakes. You go ahead and revise the report firstdon't take it to heart."
Watching their interaction, I felt like something was blocking my chest, making it hard to breathe.
After Lily left, Harrison sat down and took out his phone to send a message.
I glanced over; he was placing an order on a delivery app with a note saying, "Iced Americano, seven ice cubes, deliver to the secretary's office."
"Harrison," I said softly, "how long have you and Lily been involved?"
He looked up at me, his gaze evasive. "What are you saying? We are just boss and subordinate relationship, don't read too much into it."
"Read too much into it?" I picked up the report on the table. "Can't you see the flaws in this report are glaring? You're deliberately covering for her, aren't you?"
"Anna, can you please stop being so unreasonable?" He stood up. "I have things to do. I'm going to the office now."
After he left, I was alone in the conference room.
Sunlight poured through the window, landing on the report. The incorrect data looked like mocking smiles.
That night, Harrison came home three hours earlier than usual.
I was cooking in the kitchen when he walked in, leaned against the doorframe, and said, "Anna, we need to talk."
"About what?"
He said, "Lily is just a newcomer. Stop making things difficult for her."
I turned off the stove and looked at him. "Making things difficult for her? I was only pointing out her mistakes. Is that making things difficult? Then what do you call her stealing someone else's husband?"
"Anna!" He raised his voice. "Can you please not say things so harshly? Lily and I just have a normal working relationship!"
"Does a normal working relationship mean you order her an Iced Americano with seven ice cubes every day? Does a normal working relationship mean you tell her on Twitter, 'I'll handle it after the project is over'?"
I looked him in the eye. "Harrison, do you dare say you have no other kind of relationship with her?"
He fell silent, then after a long pause said, "Even if I did, it was because you made me do it."
"I made you do it? Did I force you to cheat?"
"In your life, it's nothing but work. You don't care about me at all," he said. "Lily understands me better than you do. She's gentler, and being with her made me feel so much easier."
"So, this is your reason for betraying me?" I asked, my voice starting to tremble.
"I'm not betraying you," he avoided my gaze. "I just think we both need to calm down."
"Calm down?" I stepped closer to him. "Harrison, are you trying to make me accept her presence? Trying to make me turn a blind eye?"
He lifted his head, a trace of threat in his eyes: "Anna, you'd better not push me. If you keep making things difficult for Lily, I can't guarantee what might happen between us."
Those words were like a knife, stabbing straight into my heart. I took a step back, staring at the man before meso familiar yet so strangeand suddenly found it all absurd.
"Harrison," I said softly but with finality, "you truly disgust me."
His expression shifted. "Anna, don't push this too far!"
"You're the one who's gone too far!" I grabbed the plate from the table and smashed it on the floor. "Harrison, remember, you were the first to betray me!"
He stared at the shattered pieces on the floor, his face ashen. "You're insane!"
With that, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
I sank to the floor, eyes fixed on the shards, tears finally spilling down my cheeks.
For the next few days, we had no contact; he didn't come home, and I didn't call him.
There was an international conference on Friday, held at a downtown hotel, where Harrison spoke as a representative.
I arrived early at the venue, sat in the last row, and watched him on stage adjusting the equipment, while Lily stood beside him, fixing his tie with intimate gestures.
The conference began, and Harrison walked onto the stage to deliver a passionate speech about the company's future development plans.
I took out my phone and opened the photos I had someone investigate and organize for me over the past few days.
There were pictures of him and Lily at the hotel entrance, explicit chat records between them, and screenshots of hotel booking orders.
When he spoke about "honest business practices and staying true to our original intentions," I pressed the screen casting button.
The large screen, which had been showing a PPT, suddenly switched to those photos and chat logs. The room instantly fell silent, and everyone's eyes locked on the stage.
Harrison's face turned pale instantly. Panicked, he fumbled to turn off the screen casting but couldn't find the switch.
"Mr. Stern, what is this?" Someone from the audience asked, their voice laced with sarcasm.
Lily stood nearby, her face flushed crimson. Covering her face, she hurriedly left the venue.
Harrison looked at me, his eyes full of anger and disbelief: "Anna! You're crazy!"
I stood up, looked at him, and my voice carried clearly across the entire room: "I'm not crazy. I just wanted everyone to see what your so-called 'stay true to your original aspiration' really looks like."
After that, I turned and walked out of the room.
The next day, I got a call from Harrison. He asked me to come to the hotel's conference room downstairs from the company, saying he had something important to discuss.
I thought he wanted to talk about divorce, so I went.
When I opened the conference room door, it was packed with people company shareholders and media reporters.
Harrison sat at the head of the table, his face dark, while Lily, seated beside him, had red eyes and looked deeply wronged.
I hesitated for a moment and turned to leave, but the security guard at the door stopped me.
"Anna, since you're here, please have a seat," Harrison said. His voice was cold.
I looked at him, a sudden bad feeling rising in my chest.
"I've gathered everyone here today to clarify something," Harrison said as he picked up the microphone.
"The so-called 'evidence' Anna Judd presented at yesterday's international conference was entirely fabricated. It was a deliberate false accusation against me and Miss Harmon, born from personal grudges."
The audience immediately erupted into murmurs, and reporters' cameras were aimed at me.
"Forged?" I looked at him. "Harrison, you know perfectly well whether those chat records and photos were forged!"
"I don't know," he said. "Anna and I have been married for ten years, always very close, but recently she's been under a lot of work stress, her emotions have been unstable, and she's developed depression with frequent hallucinations."
As he spoke, he pulled out a medical record with my name on it, showing a diagnosis of depression.
I stared at the medical record, trembling with anger. "This medical record is fake! When have I ever had depression?"
"You forgot yourself," he said. "Last month you even went to the hospital to see a doctor. The doctor advised you to rest, but you just refused to admit it."
Lily whispered beside me, "Ms. Judd, I know you're upset, but you can't hurt Mr. Stern like this. We are really just normal working relationship."
"A working relationship?" I looked at her, "So the chat records between you and Harrison on the phone are fake too?"
"They're fake," she said. "Those are images you photoshopped yourself."
I watched them playing along with each other, feeling as if my heart had frozen solid.
"Harrison, you actually made up so many lies to protect her. Don't you find that embarrassing?" I'm asking.
"Embarrassing?" He laughed, "The real embarrassment is you! Anna, do you think I don't know why you're so against Lily? It's because you can't have children!"
Those words struck like a thunderclap, leaving my mind utterly blank.
The murmurs from the audience grew louder; the reporters' cameras clicked relentlessly.
"You can't have children, so you're jealous of Lily's youth, jealous that she can bring me happiness," he went on.
"Ten years ago, you lost your ability to conceive in an accident. You kept this secret from everyone, and now you're taking your resentment out on Lily. Don't you think that's selfish?"
He spoke as he pulled out a photoit was me ten years ago, lying on a hospital bed, pale-faced.
That photo was taken when I was hospitalized after being assaulted. I've kept this buried deep in my heart, known only to Harrison and me. Yet he actually took it out and humiliated me in public!
"Harrison!" I shouted his name, tears streaming down. "How could you do this to me? Have you forgotten what you promised back then? You said you would always be by my side, you said..."
"I did say that," he interrupted. "But I never said you could hurt me like this! Anna, if you apologize to Lily and me now, maybe we can still go back to how things were."
"Apologize?" I looked at him, then at Lily pretending to be pitiful beside him, and suddenly laughed. "Why should I apologize? The ones who should apologize are you two! You betrayed our marriage, and she destroyed someone else's family!"
Lily cried, "Ms. Judd, I really didn't mean to. I just want to do my job properly. Why are you forcing me like this?"
"Enough!" I couldn't hold back any longer. I rushed over, grabbed a nearby reporter's camera, and smashed it toward Lily.
She let out an "Ah!" and fell to the ground, blood starting to trickle from her forehead.
"Jesus! Anna wanna killed someone!" Harrison rushed over, holding Lily, shouting at me, "Anna, you're such a lunatic! How could I have married a woman like you?"
I stood frozen, watching them, watching the reporters and shareholders below, seeing their looks full of contempt and sympathy, and suddenly feeling utterly exhausted.
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